Improvement in flexible joints for tubes



"tnitrd tstrt @tutti mijn.

NORMAN Rl BATES, OFI'IITUSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent No.'98,833, dated January 11, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN FLEXIBLE JOINTS FOR TUBES.

The Schedule :exerted to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom 'it 'may concern-.-

Be it known that I, NORMAN R. BATES, of Titusville,in the county of Crawford, and State of Penn- Sylvania, have invented certain new and useful Im- Figure 2 represents a vertical section of the same. Figure 3 represents a vertical section of the tubes of the joint, with the flexible surrounding-tube re;

moved. l 4

'My improved flexible joint is designed to connect that part of the .tubing used in oil-wells which is above the derrick-oor, and where the stufiing-box of y the connecting-rod is elevated above said floor, which joint has heretofore been unyielding, by being screwed together. Y

The walking-beam, used to give motion to the sucker-ro'd, describes the arc of a circle, and the connecting-rod, stniing-box, and tubing, must, of necessity, vibrate with every stroke of the pump, and must spring or bend, to accommodate such vibration, which has the effect ot' destroying'the screw-threads of the sections ot tubes, at their connection near the derrick-iioor, producing great strain upon the joint, and a consequent leakage, while the stitiness ot' the tubing increases the friction of the connecting-rod, and, by the movement of the walking-beam in the arc of a circle, wears the opening in the stung-box to an oval shape, thereby destroying its capacity to retain the packing, and rendering it almost useless.

My improvements are designed to'overcome these difficulties, and consist in the employment of a ilexible joint, instead of the inflexible screw-joint, to allow the tubing to accommodate itself to the arc described by the walking-beam.

In the accompanying drawings- A represents the upper section'of the tubing, to which the stniiing-boxvB of the connecting-rod and the delivery-pipe or nozzle C are secured.

To the lower end of this section is secured a short coupling-piece, D, the 'lower end of which is screwed on to the` end of a section of tubing E.

The lower end of this last-named section of tubing has two of its sides, a, made convex, so as to form rockers, which project within the lower tube F, and rest upon a shoulder or seat, f, formed therein.

The ibject of so forming the end of this tube E, is, to al ow its end to rockwithin the lower tube F, Without binding against it, because the tube rocks in the 'direction of the length of the walking-beam. l

This lower tube is about six inches long, with the inner side b of its upper end made slightly flaring, so as to receive the end of the upper sectionof tube E,

and'is itted with a screw-thread, to admit of its i being coupled with the tubing G, near the derrickfloor.

The convex sides c of the tube Eare ttedwithin the flaring end b of the lower tube, and the env closed end of the upper tube is `provided with two holes, g, directly' opposite each other, to allow the oil-which may get in the joint formed by the junction of the two tubes, to pass therefrom into the upper tube, at each vibration of the lower end of said upper tube, thereby preventing the joint from clogging.

lThe-se two sections of 'tubes E and F constitute l the joint, and to connect and support one upon an l within the other, so as to allow them to yield with the vibrations of the walking-beam, I employ `a piece of `fine stout rubber tubing, H, or other flexible connection, of suiiicient length to overlap the contiguous.

ends of these two sections of tubing E F, and to be firmly secured thereto by a wrapping of strong wire, c, or its equivalent, so as to perfectly bind the two ends of this flexible tube H to the contiguous ends of the metallic tubes E F, whereby I obtain a flexible connection and lateral support for one tube upon and within the'other, and, at the same time, a' closed coveringjor the joint. A

The means for preventing the vseparation of the tubing of the exible joint, consist ot' two clampingplates I, the upper one resting upon a shoulder, d, on the upper coupling-tube D, and the lower one against a shoulder, e, on the lower joint-piece F, and the two, thus arranged, are clamped by two`side-screw rods, J, and nuts K, thus constituting the clamp for the tubejoint. l

This flexible joint may be made of malleable iron or steel, and instead of forming the supporting-seat on the lower tube, it may be made in the upper tube, and the latter maybe made` to embrace the former.

Having described my invention,

I claim- 1. A coupling-joint, consisting of tubes E and F,

the part E rounded at its end, and resting upon the i annulus f, within the part F, the upper end ofF aring, the whole covered' by an elastic band, free at its centre,v but held toward its ends to the parts E and F, all substantially as described.

2. The combination of the 'rounded ends a with the shoulder or seat f, the flaring mouth b, and the escape-openings g g,arranged at the junction of the tubes E F, substantially as before described. 3. The combinationr of a lateral flexible enclosingband, H, with the tubes E F, and a clamping-device, I, J, K, substantially as before described. Y In testimony whereof, I have signed my' name.

Witnesses: Y NORMAN It. BATES.

Guo. Sl. STEWART, M. STEWART. 

